


Wanderlust

by ScribbledGhost



Series: Wanderlust [1]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: AU where Whiskey owns a bar, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cockwarming, Dirty Talk, F/M, Oral Sex, Praise Kink, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Yearning, so much yearning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:40:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29826486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribbledGhost/pseuds/ScribbledGhost
Summary: You’re wandering to nowhere when you happen upon a little bar in the middle of nowhere called the Statesman. The cowboy running the place has an instant effect on your tumbleweed heart.
Relationships: Jack | Whiskey (Kingsman)/Reader
Series: Wanderlust [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2192637
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

You had lost track of how long you had been driving that day. It had seemed that the world had shifted into nothing but tree-lined highways and small-town rest stops for the past week, and you were finding it harder and harder to keep yourself entertained enough to stay awake. The sun hung low in the sky in front of you as you headed west, trying to shield your eyes as best as you could from the blinding light. What state were you even in? When was the last time you had stopped for gas, or food, or… for any reason, really? You couldn’t remember. You made the executive decision to turn off at the next exit, find someplace to lay low, and spend the night there.

The next exit from the highway came soon enough, and you turned onto it despite not seeing much in the way of amenities in the immediate area. You drove further from the highway, not particularly caring how long it would take you to get back to it. It wasn’t like you had any place to be, anyway. The sun had now dipped below the horizon, and as you drove, you spotted a small bar situated on the right side of the road. There wasn’t much else around it, but you did note a small spattering of city lights further down the road. You pulled into the gravel parking area, and once your car was parked you climbed out of the driver’s seat, already feeling the ache of sitting in the same position for so long. As you did, the bar’s neon sign sizzled to life, revealing the words “Statesman Bar”.

As you walked in to the low light of the bar, you noticed how there wasn’t a multitude of patrons there. A few were scattered across booths and along the bar itself, but there were no crowds, and not much noise aside from the murmurs of those already there and the low volume of old country music coming from the jukebox in the corner. It appeared that most of the building was made of weathered wood, with various Americana symbols adorning the walls. You’d been in dozens of bars like this, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that this one was… different.

You made your way to the far end of the bar, opting to slide into one of the bar stools there and wait for the bartender to notice you.

“What can I get for ya, sugar?” came a deep southern drawl from the other side of the bar. Attached to the voice was a man you could have only described as pure-bred American cowboy. Tall with dark hair, he had tanned skin underneath his white shirt and black leather jacket, with warm brown eyes and a mustache quirked into a lopsided smile beneath his black Stetson hat.

“Whiskey, on the rocks please,” you said.

The bartender went to work after a nod of his head and a “yes, ma’am”, and as he handed your glass to you, he leaned onto the bar opposite you.

“Don’t get many fresh faces ‘round here,” he drawled, “what brings you do this neck of the woods?”

“Just passing through,” you said in a noncommittal tone, sipping your drink.

“Ah, a drifter,” he said, “now those we do get. Gotta say though, ain’t never seen a drifter as pretty as you, ‘specially ‘round here.”

You huffed out a laugh, and tried to ignore the heat rising to your face.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t even know where “here” is,” you said.

“Well this here is the finest bar just outside the finest little town in Kentucky,” the man replied with a grin. “Name’s Jack, by the way. Owner and bartender,” he continued, holding out his hand.

You took it and gave it a polite shake, giving him your name in return. Jack repeated it, almost as if testing to see how it would feel on his tongue. You continued your light conversation with Jack, who stayed close by for the most part, unless he wandered to the other end of the bar to pour another patron another round. You finished off your own drink, and declined another, saying you wanted to “keep your wits about you”. It seemed like only minutes had passed, but before long Jack sent out a “last call” warning to the few people who were still in the bar. After doing so, he turned back to you.

“So where ya stayin’ tonight, sugar?” he asked.

“Well,” you started slowly, “I er… I was actually gonna ask you if the town close to here had any parking lots I could park my car to sleep in. I’m trying to conserve my cash.”

Jack quirked an eyebrow at this, and after a moment of contemplation, he took a breath.

“Well, there’s a grocery store there that you could probably hunker down in, or there’s a motel that you could park ‘round back of and nobody would know. Or,” he drawled lowly as he leaned in closer, “you could come upstairs to my apartment after close. Sleep in a real bed. Pretty thing like you shouldn’t be sleepin’ in her car on a cold night like this.”

You looked up at him for a moment, unable to stop your face from heating up. You thought for a moment. It wasn’t like you to do something like this, but then again, it wasn’t “like you” to do a lot of the things you’d done in the past couple of months.

“Sure,” you said after a moment of pause, “why not.”

Jack’s face melted into a grin, and he excused himself to let the last few people out of the bar and take care of his last few closing duties. Lastly, he shut the main lights off, as well as the jukebox and the neon sign outside. The only things left in the bar it seemed were you, Jack, the dim lights of the overnight bulbs above the bar, and the deafening silence between all three. Your heart began to pound as Jack held out his hand to you, keeping hold of it as he walked back behind the bar and to a door that you presumed led upstairs. There was another door at the top of the flight of stairs, and as Jack unlocked and opened it, he motioned for you to go in first. You obliged, and noted the atmosphere of his apartment.

In many ways, it was a lot like the bar downstairs; well-worn, plenty of Americana artifacts around, and having that same warm, easy atmosphere. The lights were off still, but there was plenty of light to see by from the moon shining into the space, making it seem partially ethereal.

You vaguely registered the sound of Jack closing the door behind you and clicking the lock shut before turning your head to see him take off his hat and jacket to hang them on hooks by the door. Your gaze stayed on him as he toed his shoes off and walked over behind you, gripping your hips and leaning his forehead onto your temple.

“You still alright with this, darlin’?” he asked in a husky tone.

You nodded, too caught up in the feeling of him so close to you to form much of a coherent sentence.

“Yeah… yeah I’m okay,” you said finally, pushing yourself to give a verbal consent.

Jack responded by quickly nudging his nose behind your ear, then giving several warm, open mouthed kisses from there down the side of your neck. A vague part of your mind wondered how you’d even be able to handle what was coming next if that simple act alone was enough for you to feel like your skin was on fire.

Jack released his grip on your hips, and moved in front of you, holding out his hand again for you to take. He led you across the living room into his own room, where a large bed was situated on the far wall, illuminated by the moonlight from outside. Kicking the door closed behind him and keeping the lights off, Jack moved his hands up to cradle your face, and pressed his lips to yours. You immediately reciprocated, putting your hands on his shoulders and moving them upwards to card them through his hair.

It felt like the only things in existence were the two of you. You lost yourself in the feeling of his breath mixing with yours as he raked his hands down your body to grab your hips again, this time pulling you flush against him. As his tongue slid against yours, he slipped his hands beneath your shirt, pulling it upwards as he ran his hands up with it. The two of you broke apart as he lifted your shirt over your head and returned his hands to your waist, rubbing your heated skin with his thumbs. In turn, you tugged on the bottom of Jack’s shirt until he pulled it off as well, tossing it away in the same direction yours had gone. Reaching for your waist again, he leaned his forehead on yours and took a shaky breath.

“God, look at you, sweetheart,” he said, his voice lower and accent more pronounced than it had been just moments before, “You look so good in the light like this. Look like you just fell right outta the sky.”

All you could do in response was huff out a laugh as you cupped his face and pulled his lips back to yours. Jack began to push his hips into yours, and you let out an involuntary whine as you felt his length against you, already hard enough for you to feel through his jeans and yours. Jack took the opportunity to shift his mouth from yours and leave a trail of kisses down your jaw and to the juncture of your neck, occasionally leaving small nips and grazes of his teeth along the way.

He brought his hands up to your chest, feeling at your breasts through your bra before snaking his hands around to your back to unclasp it. With his face still at your neck, he reached up and pushed the straps down your shoulders as you finished shrugging off the garment, tossing it aside. His hands immediately shifted back to your breasts, kneading them in his hands and occasionally pinching at your nipples with his thumb and forefinger as he set his forehead against yours. You let out a high pitched keen in response, bringing your hands up to bury themselves in his hair. Even in the dark, you could feel his eyes staring into you.

Jack continued to grind his hips against you as he reached down and began to undo the button and zipper on your jeans. He pulled them down past your hips, at which point you let them fall so you could step out of them, taking off your shoes and socks along the way. Left in only your underwear, Jack pulled back to arms length, as if to fully appraise you. In the dim light, you could see his chest heaving with every breath, until finally he let out a groan and lightly moved you until the backs of your knees met the edge of his bed. Jack lightly pushed down on your shoulders until you were sitting at the edge of the bed looking up at him through your lashes. He then proceeded to undo his belt and remove his own jeans and socks, leaving you to see the outline of his cock straining against his briefs. You reached a hand out, desperate to feel him, only to have him grab your wrist.

“As much as I’d love for you to get to work on me sweetheart, there’s somethin’ else I wanna do first,” he said.

At this, Jack leaned down and pressed a kiss to your collarbone. He continued mouthing at your body as he lowered himself, sucking mark after mark onto your skin. Moving with you as you fell onto your back, he was sure to lavish plenty of attention on your breasts and nipples, also making a point to leave a kiss in the space between them. He continued his descent, kneading at your skin and pressing kisses to your stomach and abdomen, letting out a low chuckle as your breath hitched and you let out a series of small moans.

“That’s right baby, you know where I’m goin’, don’t you?” he said, a teasing lilt to his voice as he kissed the top edge of your underwear.

“Gonna make you feel so good darlin’,” he added, snagging the band of your underwear between his teeth and pulling back slightly before he let go, chuckling lowly when you let out a gasp as the elastic snapped against you.

“Gonna make that gorgeous body sing for me,” he drawled as he lowered himself until he was kneeling in front of you, immediately leaning in to mouth at the wet spot already forming on your underwear.

You cried out in pleasure, your hands reaching to your sides to grip at the bedsheets underneath you as you threw your head back. Jack ran his hands along your thighs, gripping and releasing them as he continued his ministrations, as if he couldn’t get enough of how it felt to grab handfuls of you as you writhed beneath him. As he pulled back, you propped yourself onto your elbows, watching as he slowly pulled your underwear down your legs and off, keeping his eyes trained on yours the entire time. The air around you was thick, and as you tried your best to slow your breathing to a healthy rate, Jack placed a warm palm on top of your thigh.

“Easy, sweetheart,” he said gently, “just relax and let ol’ Jack take care of you, yeah?”

You stuttered out a deep breath and nodded, reciprocating the lazy smile Jack flashed you in return. Moving his gaze back down to your core, Jack looped his arms underneath your legs, moving them on top of his shoulders as he leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to your outer lips. Tightening his grip on you, he then proceeded to bury himself between your legs, tasting as much of you as he could manage at once. He let out a sinful groan at your taste as he began to alternate between licking broad stripes up your pussy, to sucking on your clit, to pushing his tongue into you, causing his nose to brush up against your clit in just the right way to make you see stars.

He ate you out like a man starved, and before long you found that you’d begun to involuntarily grind your hips onto him. Jack took this in stride, moving his head in time with your hips. As you got closer to your peak, your moans became less restricted, and your hands tangled themselves into Jack’s hair, pulling him into you.

“That’s it baby,” Jack said, his voice muffled against your skin, “let me hear you. Take what you want. Let go for me darlin’, I got you.”

You did as he instructed, groaning out his name as you felt yourself hit your peak. Jack drew out your orgasm, gently slowing his licks until you were twitching against him. He pulled back, and as he pressed kiss after kiss to your thighs, you could hear him mumbling a litany of praises along the lines of “such a good girl” and “look so fuckin’ pretty when you cum”. After a brief period of this, he stood up, wiping a hand along his mouth.

“Scoot on up to the pillows, darlin’,” he said, nodding to the head of the bed.

You did as you were told, using what arm strength you had left to pull yourself up as Jack walked over to the bedside table and pulled a condom out of the top drawer. He held the wrapper between his teeth as he pulled off his own briefs, freeing his cock and making you take a sharp breath at the sight. It felt almost satisfying to know that every part of himself that he showed you was just as handsome as the last, and this was no exception.

Jack wasted no time in tearing off the condom wrapper and rolling it down his length, letting out a strained breath as he did so. He climbed onto the bed and crawled over to you, covering your body with his as he shouldered his way between your legs. You found yourself pressed against him as you wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him to you, kissing him in what felt like equal parts desperation and adoration. The two of you broke apart in unison, letting out your own moans at the feeling of the blunt head of his cock snagging against your entrance. Jack placed his forehead on yours, and in the moonlight you could barely make out the sight of his eyes staring into yours as he pressed into you.

He was slow, and you savored the stretch as he pushed deeper, deeper, deeper, continuing until he bottomed out against you. Still staring at each other with gasping breaths, you rolled your hips against him, a silent sign for him to continue. Jack caught the hint, and began to gently roll his Your eyes closed as you tilted your head back in pleasure, and as a result Jack dipped his head down to press hard kisses to your throat. He could feel the vibrations of your moans through his lips, and he quickened his pace, desperate to draw more from you. He dragged his nose along your neck, making his way up until he was level with your face again.

“Feel good, sweetheart?” he said in a low voice.

“Yes,” you gasped, “God yes. Feels so fucking good.”

“Yeah?” Jack breathed, “Got one more for me sweetheart? Can you cum again for me?”

You nodded your head, crying out as Jack shifted himself slightly so he could push into you at just the right angle to hit the spot that made your legs shake. He quickened his pace, driving into you as he let his head fall beside yours, his lips just next to your ear.

“Come on baby, let me hear you sing for me,” he groaned, his voice low and strained. “Let me feel that pussy cum around my cock. God, you feel so good. Feel so fuckin’ good.”

You buried your facein his shoulder, digging your fingernails into his back as your second orgasm hit and your pussy tightened around him. A few more thrusts was all Jack could manage before he followed suit, his hips going still as he held you in a bruising grip and moaned out your name. The two of you lay motionless for several moments, breathing against each other’s skin. After a while, Jack pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking down at you with an unreadable look on his face. He then lowered his forehead to yours, closing his eyes as he pressed several more kisses to your lips.

Jack lifted himself off of you, slowly pulling out of you with a grunt. He removed the condom, tying it off and throwing it in the bedside trash can as he made his way to the attached bathroom. A few seconds later, he returned to your side with a damp washcloth, starting to gently wipe it over your skin.

When was the last time anyone had treated you this gently? You struggled to remember.

Once Jack was satisfied that you were clean enough to be comfortable, he sat the washcloth on the bedside table and maneuvered the two of you underneath the covers. He pulled you back to his chest, kissing the back of your neck as he laid his arm across your middle.

“You were so good, baby,” he said into your skin, “so, so good for me.”

You smiled, grabbing the hand laying on your stomach and giving it a light squeeze in response. As sleep found its way to you, you let yourself curl back into Jack’s chest, refusing to think about what the morning would bring.


	2. Chapter 2

You woke slowly, finding that you’d shifted in your sleep. Instead of having your back against Jack’s chest, he was on his back while your head was nestled onto the side of his chest and one arm was slung around his middle. One of Jack’s arms covered yours as it laid across him, while the other cradled your head as his hand ran along your scalp. Taking a sleep-laced breath, you tilted your head up to look at Jack. His eyes were still closed, and if it weren’t for the movement of his hand, you would have thought he was still asleep. Shifting your head slightly, you moved up to place a kiss along his jawline, stirring him to attention.

“Well good mornin’, sunshine,” he said, his voice low and laced with sleep as he kissed your forehead.

“Mornin’” you mumbled in response.

“I don’t know ‘bout you, but I’m starvin’,” Jack said as he stretched and moved to sit up, “you made me work up quite an appetite last night, sugar.”

You giggled at him as he threw you a wink, but as he stood up to find his clothes, you moved to sit on the edge of the bed facing him.

“Hey now,” you said in a low voice, grabbing his hand to make him turn to face you, “I do believe you still owe me something from last night, cowboy.”

You pulled him close to you, pressing a kiss to his abdomen as you ran your hands along his thighs. You continued to move your hands along the parts of Jack’s body you could reach, delighting in the feeling of him starting to harden beneath your touch.

“Well, I am more than happy to provide, sugar,” Jack said.

Jack’s breathing became more labored, hitching into a moan as you wrapped a hand around his length, running your hand along in a few test strokes. He placed a hand on your cheek, and you looked up at him as you leaned forward to take the head of his cock into your mouth. Jack ground out a moan, his hand coming up to grab at your scalp as you swirled your tongue around him.

As you took more of him into your mouth, Jack’s hand moved to the back of your head, slightly moving you while his hips pushed forward. Taking him as far into your mouth as you could, you stroked the remainder of him as Jack’s grunts and groans turned into words above you.

“Fuck,” he ground out, “feels so fuckin’ good baby. Those lips look so pretty wrapped around my cock like that.”

You hummed in response, earning a hiss from Jack as he pushed quicker into your mouth.

“You’ve got me close already, sweetheart. Not gonna last like this,” he panted out, his thrusts losing their rhythm as he chased the warmth of your mouth.

You used your free hand to grip at his thigh as he spilled onto your tongue, looking up at him through your lashes while you tried to steady your breathing. Once Jack was spent, panting as he loosened his grip on your head in favor of petting at your scalp, you let go and moved to stand up with him. Jack, however, pushed you back to your position where you’d been sitting on the edge of the bed, moving to sit behind you.

“Oh, I don’t think so, little lady,” he said, pulling your back to his chest as you sat between his legs, “you ain’t gonna get away without lettin’ me return the favor.”

His hands wandered across your body, stopping to grope at your breasts as he kissed down your neck. You reached back to tangle a hand in his hair as he reached the juncture of your neck and shoulder and gently bit at the skin there. Jack moved down your body, taking time to run his hands along your thighs and spread them apart before moving his hand along your slit, feeling how wet you were.

“All this for me, baby?” He asked, nipping your earlobe as he wrapped one arm around your middle to hold you in place.

“Yes,” you sighed out, closing your eyes as you continued to run your hands through his hair. “All for you.”

“Well, sure would be a shame to waste it then, yeah?” He said in a low voice, dipping a finger into you.

Jack continued to slowly move his finger inside you, adding a second one after a few moments. His free hand came down to your core, and you let out a sinful moan as he used it to start circling your clit in tandem with his fingers pumping into you.

“That’s it, sugar,” Jack crooned into your ear, “sing for me. You make such pretty sounds, darlin’. So good for me. Such a good girl.”

Jack continued the pace of his hands, chuckling lowly as you let out a high pitched keen in response. Grabbing his hair and turning Jack’s head to face yours, you slotted your lips against his, kissing him hungrily.

“Jack,” you panted, “gonna cum.”

“Yeah?” Jack responded, “gonna cum on my fingers? Gonna let me make you feel good?”

You nodded furiously, unable to find your words as you raced towards your peak.

“Go on then,” Jack said, “cum for me. Let me feel you cum around my fingers. Let me hear that gorgeous voice say my name.”

You did as he told you, crying out his name as you tumbled over the edge. Jack continued to work his hands to draw out your orgasm, slowing only when you’d grabbed his arm as your legs began to shake. He brought a hand up to turn your head to face him, kissing you slowly as you came down from your high. After several minutes of peace, Jack pressed his nose against your temple, planting a quick kiss there as he moved to get off the bed.

“How’s some breakfast sound, sweetheart?” Jack asked as he pulled on a pair of jeans, forgoing a shirt as he moved into the kitchen attached to the living room. You gratefully agreed, your stomach already clenching with hunger at the thought of a warm meal.

You busied yourself with getting dressed as Jack began to cook in the other room. As you looked at yourself in the bathroom mirror, you noticed how disheveled you looked. But underneath that, you were surprised to notice how… _happy_ you looked. You supposed it matched how you felt, but you tried your best to stamp out the blooming feelings in your chest.

 _The whole point of this trip was to get away. You can’t go getting attached like this,_ you scolded yourself.

Fully dressed, you made your way to the kitchen just as Jack finished cooking. He flashed you a smile as he walked to the small kitchen table, pulling out a chair for you to sit at while he made you a plate.

Jack sat down a plate full of food in front of you, sitting down across from you to start eating his own. Your meal was eaten in comfortable silence as you savored the food, grateful to have a home-cooked meal.

“So,” Jack said later as he finished his food, “what’re you runnin’ from, tumbleweed?”

The question caught you off guard, and you found yourself staring at him with a furrowed brow.

“Every drifter I’ve ever met is runnin’ from somethin’,” Jack explained, “so what’s your somethin’?”

You contemplated for a moment before answering with a sigh.

“I was born and raised in the same town. Lived there my entire life. Same damn places, same damn people, same damn sights. I worked at places I hated for people I hated, saving as much cash as I could. Didn’t know what I was saving for, though,” you said, Jack listening intently to your words.

“Eventually I just… couldn’t take it any more. I quit my job, packed my life into my car, and left. I didn’t have anyone or anything to tie me down there anyway. Figured I’d just drive until my money ran out or I found a place I liked well enough to stay.”

“Find any that make the short list?” Jack asked. You refused to let yourself believe that you heard a tinge of hope in his voice as you quirked a tight smile at him.

“I’m workin’ on it,” was all you offered in return. You chose to ignore the way his face seemed to fall in response.

“So I’m guessin’ you’re not stayin’ for long, huh?” He asked.

“The plan was to head out later this morning,” you said, apology lacing your voice.

Jack nodded in response, casting his eyes downward. After a sigh, he stood up, taking your plates to the sink and coming back to the table to stand next to you.

“Let’s get you back on the road then, sweetheart,” he said gently as he extended his hand for you to take. It wasn’t a demand, merely a suggestion, a way out for you to take to ensure the parting wouldn’t be as awkward as it could have been. You took his hand, following Jack back downstairs and out the front door of the bar.

“Well,” Jack said as the two of you reached your car, “I hope you find what you’re lookin’ for out there, darlin’. And if you’re ever close by, the door’s always open.”

You turned to look at him, and before you could stop yourself you reached up and pulled Jack into a kiss. It was different than the ones you’d given him before. It was soft. Gentle. And as he reached up to grab one of your hands that was on his cheek, you felt a pang of guilt at the idea of leaving.

“Thanks for everything, Jack,” you said softly as you pulled away to get into your car, “I’ll see you around.”

“See ya around, tumbleweed. Drive safe,” Jack replied.

As you pulled out onto the road, you tried to ignore the sting of tears in your eyes.

——————

The next few weeks passed in a blur. You moved from town to town, state to state, without paying much attention to where you were going or where you’d been. Every time you woke up in your car alone, your mind would reel back to how nice it had been to wake up in Jack’s arms. Every time you ate cheap gas station food, you’d be drawn back to how much better Jack’s homemade food had been. You found yourself regretting the unspoken agreement you and Jack had reached to not give each other a means of contact after you left.

One night, as you stared at the ceiling of your car that was parked in a hotel parking lot in the middle of Minnesota, you made the decision to go back to the Statesman. You realized with a sudden dread that you couldn’t remember the exact exit that you’d taken to get there, and only marginally remembered the highway you’d used. Unable to sleep once you’d made up your mind, you started your car and pulled back out onto the road.

It hadn’t taken you as long as expected to make it back to Kentucky, but you spent the next four days racking your brain to try and remember the exit you’d taken to the bar before. You kept your eyes on the scenery, being hyper focused to try and remember what your surroundings had looked like. Your hope was waning by the day, and you struggled to find sleep while searching.

On the fifth night of criss-crossing the state, you drove past an exit that you instantly recognized. Making as quick a turn as possible in the light traffic, you circled back to it and out onto the road you knew housed the Statesman.

The moon was high as you approached the bar, its neon sign shining stark against the night sky. You parked at the side of the building, attempting to calm your thundering heart before getting out of your car.

As you made your way to the front door of the bar, your heart clenched at the sight. It was later than it had been the first time you’d come around, and part of you hoped it wasn’t too busy. You stopped yourself just short of admitting that you wanted more time to talk to Jack again. Walking in the door and making your way to the bar, you spotted Jack cleaning some used glasses with his back to you. You were pleased to notice that only a few people remained scattered across the bar. As you slid into the same bar stool you’d used last time, he turned around, starting to ask you for your order. He stopped short when his eyes met yours, his face lighting up into a grin.

“Well, hey there, tumbleweed,” Jack said, reaching behind him to grab a bottle of whiskey.

“‘Nother whiskey on the rocks for ya?” He asked.

You stammered out a “yes”, surprised that he’d remembered your order from last time. He worked quickly, a practiced routine before setting your glass in front of you. Leaning forward onto the bar in front of you, he gave you a smile.

“So what brings you ‘round this way again darlin’?”

“I just-“

_Wanted to see you. Needed to be around you. Had to make sure I didn’t just make you up -_

“-was in the area. Figured I’d stop by.”

Jack nodded, giving you a look that made you worry that he knew you were lying but saying nothing. Instead, the two of you found yourself falling back into easy conversation, discussing where your travels had taken you, how things had been at the bar, and everything in between. Jack told you about how he’d grown up on a farm, but had found the bar building abandoned and made an impulse decision to buy it and fix it up himself. He told you about the regulars at the bar - among them an older gentleman who went by “Champ” who came in every Saturday to knock back a few beers and talk with Jack, and a young buck that everyone called Tequila due to his drink of choice that he apparently never could quite handle. The two of you talked and laughed as if you’d known the other for years, and you found yourself more relaxed than you’d been since you left. As Jack sent out a last call, he turned to you.

“Got a space for ya upstairs, sugar,” he offered, his eyes raking over your form.

“I, uh,” you responded, a faint sense of panic rising in your chest, “I should really get back on the road. I don’t want to impose.”

“You could never impose, darlin’. But I won’t press ya,” Jack said with a sad smile.

“I won’t make ya stay the night, tumbleweed,” he continued, “but could I ask ya for a dance after close? Just one, then you can tumble on your way.”

You paused, your face breaking into a grin as you nodded in response.

“I’d… I’d like that,” you said.

Jack’s face mirrored your grin as he set about doing his usual lockup routine. After locking the front door, Jack walked back to you, taking your hand and pulling you over to an open spot in the middle of the main bar area. He left you there just long enough to walk over to the jukebox, fish out some change from his pocket, and select his song. You watched him walk back to you as slow country music started to play, and Jack put one hand at the small of your back while grabbing your own hand with the other. You placed your free hand on Jack’s shoulder, slowly starting to sway back and forth as your foreheads placed together and your eyes closed.

As you swayed with him, you let yourself get lost in the feeling of Jack being so close to you again. You tilted your head, moving your forehead away from his as you nuzzled into the juncture between his neck and shoulder. Closing your eyes, you gave in and let your mind wander. Images of you and Jack dancing like this in his kitchen on cool spring mornings came to you, as did images of the two of you running the bar together, laughing and joking with the regulars there. Images of a life here. Images of a home.

The song ended, plunging the two of you into silence. You didn’t realize that your breath had started to hitch and your eyes started to burn with unshed tears until the hand that held Jack’s was moved to his other shoulder as his hand found the back of your head, cradling it to him.

“Easy, sweetheart,” Jack said softly, “it’s alright. You’re okay. I gotcha.”

You struggled to compose yourself, gripping tighter onto Jack’s shoulders as he tightened his hold on you. You apologized continuously in a shaky voice, but Jack would only shush you in response. Pulling in a few deep breaths, you kept your face buried in Jack’s neck, making an attempt to memorize his scent.

“I can’t stay,” you whispered finally, “if I stay it’s gonna hurt so much more when I leave.”

“You ain’t gotta leave at all, darlin’,” Jack murmured, pressing a kiss to your temple, “but I understand. I know. Don’t do much good to try and keep a tumbleweed from tumblin’. Just know I’ll never turn ya away. My door’s always gonna be open for ya, baby.”

All you could do was nod against his skin, blinking back a fresh wave of tears. You pulled his lips to yours, a desperate action that you hoped would convey to him everything you couldn’t say. Before your resolve could crumble any further, you pulled yourself away, forcing yourself to walk out the door and to your car. It was nearly three in the morning by this point, but you pulled back out onto the highway, forcing yourself to drive as far as you could until your eyelids began to droop with exhaustion.

You didn’t dream that night.


	3. Chapter 3

You crisscrossed the country at a snail’s pace, staying as far west as possible to avoid any temptation to return to Kentucky. You saw sights more breathtaking than you could have imagined, and interacted with more people than you had in your entire life up to that point. But despite everything, despite how often you scolded yourself for feeling such a way, all the experiences fell flat. Your body may have been in Colorado, Nevada, or Oregon, but your mind was back at the Statesman.

You still stopped short of admitting that your heart was there with it.

You checked your bank account frequently, taking careful stock of your dwindling savings. You spent more nights in your car than not, going as long as possible without food to stretch your remaining dollars. With every stop, you tried to force yourself to imagine a life there, remembering Jack’s question of whether or not you had found a place that made the short list for you to stay.

No matter how hard you tried, the images your imagination concocted fell flat too.

Sometimes, when the nights were dark and you only had your thoughts for company, you let yourself drift in spirit back to Kentucky. The images of dancing with him after hours like you had the last time, getting to know the town he called home, and taking a few weeks out of the year to travel alongside him all kept you warm through the night. You almost always awoke later with a clear head and a shame-filled heart.

It was almost two months after you’d last been in Kentucky when you found yourself somewhere in the backwoods of Missouri, staring at your car ceiling as the rain outside pounded on the roof. Your attempts to sleep thus far had been unsuccessful, and you found your mind wandering back to the Statesman again. You sighed angrily at yourself as you continued to study your car roof.

Don’t get attached.

_Don’t get attached._

…

**_Fuck._ **

You pulled your seat back upright, cursing into the dark as you did so. You kept trying to talk yourself out of what you were about to do, telling yourself that there was no way Jack felt the same way about you, that he was just being kind when he offered you an open door and a roof over your head. You stopped trying to listen to reason as you pulled out onto the road.

———

The drive back to Kentucky took longer than necessary. You took the most roundabout, scenic route possible, in hopes that you’d change your mind before you pulled into the Statesman parking lot and made a damn fool of yourself.

You finally pulled off of the highway and onto the empty street that housed the Statesman just as the clock turned to 3 am. A spark of panic lit up your chest and you worried that you’d missed your chance that night and that the bar was already closed. The heavy rain had followed you to Kentucky, and you dreaded having to spend another night in your car after coming this far. Your heart raced as you approached the bar and saw that the neon sign was still open and the lights inside were still on. You pulled your car into park, jogging to the front door. You attempted to open the door, but it had already been locked for the evening from the inside. There was no covering overhead, and you found yourself standing there lamely in the pouring rain with your fist raised to the door. Your courage and resolve up to this point had failed you.

Suddenly you registered the neon light overhead shutting off, as well as several lights inside. Realizing that your time was running out, you quickly rapped on the old door to the bar, praying it would be heard over the rain. You waited for a moment, the rain soaking through your clothes and chilling your skin. More lights inside were going dark, and you knocked again, more frantic this time. The cycle repeated one more time, and you found hot tears trailing down your face at the thought of being too late.

You made a move to knock one last time, but before your hand could connect with the door, it creaked open on its hinges, revealing Jack with a look on his face that melted from frustration to shock. The two of you stared at each other silently for a beat, tears still streaming down your panic-stricken face and your hands wringing together. Jack shook his head as if to reset his thoughts, then promptly grabbed you by the arm.

“Good god almighty, darlin’,” he said as he pulled you inside, “get in here and outta the rain!”

He walked you through the room and stood you in front of the bar area as he moved quickly behind it to grab a dish towel.

“It ain’t much, but it’s clean and it’ll do for now,” he said as he came back, cradling your face with one hand while the other came up to start gently padding the cloth at your face.

“God, you are freezin’, sweetheart,” he said quietly as he continued toweling off any exposed skin he could find. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I-I…I don’t-“ You stammered, unable to find the words to properly speak through your tears and uneven breaths. You struggled to discern why exactly you were crying.

“Okay, it’s okay, baby,” Jack murmured to you as he cradled your cold face in his warm hands, wiping at the tears with his thumbs. “If you’re okay with comin’ upstairs, I got some fresh towels and some clean clothes that should fit ya. I can toss yours in the dryer and give ‘em back to you as soon as they’re done. You gotta be cold, tumbleweed, you’re shakin’ like a leaf.”

You nodded mutely, giving in to the realization that you wanted nothing more. Jack nodded and gave you a gentle smile as he took your hand and led you back behind the bar and upstairs to his apartment. Once he had gotten you in the door, he led you to the bathroom doorway and handed you a large, fluffy towel as he busied himself with shuffling through his clothes. You wrapped the towel across yourself, grateful for the added warmth as you felt your shivers start to subside. Jack returned with a small pile of clothes, which you took gratefully and retreated into the bathroom. You changed methodically and numbly. After putting on the clothes Jack had handed you, you crept out of the bathroom to see Jack still standing where you’d left him when you shut the door.

“You go on and have a seat on the couch. Plenty of blankets there for you to curl up in. I’ll be in as soon as I get these in the dryer,” Jack said as he took your clothes and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead.

You did as you were told and shuffled into the living room. You wrapped yourself in one of the blankets there and sat down on the couch, starting to feel the shame creep into your thoughts. Jack returned quickly enough, pulling over an ottoman so he could sit across from you. He reached for you then, holding your hands as he rubbed gentle circles into them with his thumbs. The only sound between the two of you was the thrumming rain on the metal roof.

“I’m sorry,” you finally rasped out.

“You got nothin’ to apologize for, sweetheart,” Jack said, thumbing away another stray tear as you scoffed in response.

“I have everything to apologize for,” you replied, “I disappeared for months, then showed up at your door after hours blubbering like a damn fool. It was selfish of me to put you in a position like that. Hell, you could have been with someone else for all I knew. I should have at least waited until tomorrow.”

“Baby, I told you the last time you were here. My door’s always open for ya. I meant that,” Jack said quietly, running his thumbs over the backs of your hands. “And… there ain’t been no one else since you. If you really wanna know the truth, sugar, I ain’t been able to stop thinkin’ about you since the first night you tumbled on in.”

You jerked your head up to stare at him with wide eyes. Surely he couldn’t mean that.

“Really?” You whispered.

“Yeah,” Jack said with a chuckle that was tinged with embarrassment, “there was just somethin’ about you, tumbleweed. Felt like I knew you forever. That sounds cliche and like somethin’ out of a shitty movie, but that’s the only way I know how to say it. Folks at the bar kept makin’ fun of me after you left cause every time someone would walk in I’d damn near break my neck to see if it was you.”

Your vision started to blur with fresh tears as your hands tightened around Jack’s.

“And then you came back,” Jack continued, a smile blooming on his face, “I got to talk to you again. See you laugh again. And honey, that dance was the best few minutes of my damn life, and it broke my fuckin’ heart to see you cry and walk away.”

“I thought about you too,” you blurted out before you could stop yourself, “I kept trying to picture myself living in the towns I stopped at. Kept trying to see if any of them made the short list. But my mind always came back to here. To you.”

Jack’s face split into a grin, and you found yourself unable to resist mirroring it. The two of you leaned forward and rested your foreheads together as you laughed lightly. They were the laughs of people who were finally allowing themselves to deconstruct the walls they’d carefully curated for so long. And you finally let yourself think about how beautiful the sound was. Jack kissed you then. Your lips connected through the laughter, and you could feel his smile against yours. The world slipped away, leaving just the two of you in the low light of forever.

“Let’s get you on to bed, darlin’,” Jack murmured into the space between you, “you gotta be dead tired.”

You nodded in agreement, suddenly feeling your fatigue catching up to you through the adrenaline as Jack stood up and helped you to your feet.

“You take the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight if you want,” Jack offered.

“No,” you said, a bit too quickly for your liking, “no. You don’t have to do that. In fact, will you… will you stay with me?” You asked in an uncertain tone, prepared for rejection. Jack only smiled at you in response as pulled you into an embrace, placing a hand on the back of your head to hold you to him.

“I wouldn’t say no to that for the world.”

———

You woke slowly the next morning, the closed curtains offering little leeway for the rising sun. You basked in the warmth of the comforters and Jack’s body curled behind you, smiling at the realization that you were still holding the hand that he had wrapped around your waist the night before.

You did your best to turn around in Jack’s grasp without waking him so you could face him, but you still turned around to see him looking at you with bleary eyes and a tired grin.

“Good mornin’, sunshine,” he mumbled into the space between you.

“Mornin’” you mumbled back.

“Now this is a sight I could get used to,” Jack said, bringing up a hand to cup your cheek as he pressed his lips to yours. The kiss was gentle, the type of action that melted you from sleep to consciousness. You moved your lips against his, wrapping an arm around his middle to pull him closer to you. The two of you continued your actions, until you heard a low rumble from the back of Jack’s throat as his kisses turned hungry.

You sighed against Jack’s lips as his hand slid down to the back of your thigh, lifting it up and over his waist. He shifted his hips against yours, grinding himself against your core. The two of you let out a groan that melted into a sigh, and you let your hands twist themselves into Jack’s hair as he continued to circle his hips against you. One of Jack’s hands slipped down, sliding down the front of the pants that he had loaned you the night before. You let out a whimper, leading Jack to press his nose against you.

“Shh, now, I’ve gotcha,” he said lowly against your skin, “you gonna let me take care of you, darlin’?”

You nodded, unable to properly find the wherewithal to speak. Jack’s lips found yours again as his hand slid down further to run through your slit, making you shiver with want.

“So wet for me already,” he whispered against your lips, drawing a high-pitched keen from you. “Baby, you keep makin’ those noises and I’m gonna cum before we even get started.”

The heat rising to your face at his words nearly blurred your vision. Jack continued to slide his fingers against you, finding your clit and circling against it. You canted your hips, bringing forth a low chuckle from Jack. He continued to circle your clit for a few moments, before shifting his hand further down to slide a finger into you with a groan. After several thrusts with one digit, Jack added another, then twisted his hand so he could nudge his thumb against your clit while his fingers curled inside you.

You rutted your hips against his hand, chasing the heat that was rising in your chest as Jack continued to murmur praises against your skin.

“That’s it,” he groaned, “ride my hand. Let me make you feel good, baby. You look so fuckin’ pretty like this.”

Jack’s hand continued to slide against your pussy, bringing you closer to your peak with every movement. Before long, you found yourself unable to keep your hips moving at a steady rhythm, too focused on the pleasure to keep up. Jack’s other hand moved to grope at your ass, keeping you still as he took over the pace. It wasn’t much longer before you felt your walls clench around him and you came around his fingers with a cry as he continued his ministrations, determined to draw out your orgasm as long as possible.

“Good girl,” Jack groaned, “ _good_ girl. Keep cumming for me. Can’t wait to get my cock inside you.”

Jack decreases his speed slowly, reveling in the feeling of your aftershocks around his fingers before pulling out of you. He brought his hand up to his mouth, wasting no time in putting his fingers into his mouth to taste you. He then moved his hands down, dragging your shirt over your head before moving his hands directly to your breasts. You sighed as you closed your eyes, unable to do much more than grip Jack’s shirt as he massaged his hands against you. He then moved his attention to the pants you wore, tugging at them before you helped him remove them completely. You found yourself thinking vaguely that you were grateful your bra and underwear were still in the dryer from the night before.

You reciprocated Jack’s actions, helping him remove his own shirt and pants before he turned around to the bedside table and opened the drawer to pull out a condom. He made quick work of the wrapper, immediately rolling it onto himself as he moved to roll himself on top of you. However, before he could move far, you put a hand onto his chest, lightly pushing him onto his back as you moved to straddle his waist.

“Hey,” Jack said with a grin and a tone that expressed more than pleasant surprise as he bit his lower lip, “gonna ride me, baby?”

You nodded, grinding yourself against his cock.

“That okay with you?” You asked as you looked at him through your lashes.

“Oh baby, that is more than okay,” Jack responded as you lifted yourself slightly to grip him and line him up with your entrance. You eased yourself onto him, and Jack’s hands held your hips in a vice-like grip to keep himself from thrusting up into you. You both let out identical moans as you felt him bottom out, and you sat up straighter to put your hands over Jack’s as he stared down at the spot where the two of you were connected. Jack’s hands didn’t ease their grip, as if he was fighting to keep control.

“Fuck,” he said through gritted teeth, “gimme a minute baby. I’d like to last a little longer than two seconds, but god _damn_ it, I’ve never felt this good. Why don’t you - _fuck_ \- why don’t you just sit pretty like that for a sec and keep my cock warm, sweetheart?”

You nodded down at his salacious grin and offered him one of your own, reveling in the feeling of power that bubbled up in you at having a man like Jack in such a position. The two of you took several deep breaths before you felt Jack’s hands shift on your hips, effectively grinding you against his cock. You followed his lead, bringing your hands to his chest as you started to circle your hips against him. Your eyes fluttered closed as you bowed your head, unable to keep your eyes on Jack below you.

You started the pace slow, wanting to draw out your pleasure as long as possible. But before long, your hips started canting faster, and Jack’s started thrusting up into you with a growing fervor. Before you could register what Jack was doing, he pulled himself up in a sitting position, keeping you in his lap as he wrapped his arms around you and kissed you with a feverish pitch that made you weak. Jack’s hands roamed, from groping your thighs and ass to running along your sides to cradling your face against his. As your breathing became shorter and heavier, you wrapped your arms around Jack’s shoulders as he continued to push his cock up into you, pulling your hips to him as he did so.

“God, you feel so fucking good,” Jack panted, “never felt a pussy so good. You’re gonna ruin me for anyone else, sweetheart.”

“I could say the same for you,” you said, “you feel so good inside me, Jack.”

Jack caught you in an open-mouthed kiss, running his tongue along yours.

“Gonna cum, baby,” he said against your lips, “you gonna let me cum inside ya? Hm?”

“Yes,” you sighed out, “fuck, Jack, _yes_.”

You felt your core start to flutter as you came again, and the feeling of your walls contracting around him sent Jack spiraling into his own orgasm. Jack pushed his lips against yours in a desperate kiss as he stilled beneath you, letting out a guttural moan as you felt his cock pulse inside you. Jack kept you pressed against him, and the two of you panted into each other’s space as you nudged your foreheads together. Your eyes were still closed, and you both spent several moments coming down from your highs, too caught up in the feeling of each other to bother moving.

The two of you looked at each other when the haze started to lift, then dissolved into laughter through your heavy breaths. You had never felt so light.

———

The two of you spent the day around Jack’s apartment, shifting between curling up next to each other on his couch watching television and sitting at his kitchen table to nibble on home-cooked food over conversation. It felt like a natural routine, as if it were something you’d been doing for years. Jack had a habit of sneaking in as many kisses as possible, and you were hardly one to deny him. As the sun started to dip lower in the sky, Jack looked over at his clock on the wall.

“Well, ‘bout time to open up,” he said, “you’re more than welcome to stay up here if you want. Or you can come on down to the bar.”

You considered your options. You had surrendered to the notion that you didn’t want to be apart from Jack and more than necessary at the moment, so staying in the loft wasn’t an appealing idea. You told him you’d join him downstairs for the evening, and you watched as his face lit up in response.

The bar opened around 8pm, and a few scattered patrons filtered in over the next couple of hours. You sat at the corner of the bar, letting Jack do his work without complaint. Around 10pm, however, a loud rumble could be heard coming from outside as a large bus pulled into the lot.

“Looks like we’ve got a crowd comin’,” Jack commented casually, as if it was something that happened regularly. True to his prediction, you witnessed the bus doors open and dozens of patrons begin streaming into the bar. You took the opportunity to move to a corner booth on the far side of the room, not wanting to get in Jack’s way as he tried to keep up with demand.

You watched him work from your spot in the corner. Jack worked with practiced ease, fluttering between taking orders, mixing drinks, and serving. You’d never seen the bar this busy before, and Jack seemed to be wholly in his element in the crowd. Most of the night was spent people-watching and grinning into your own drink whenever you would catch someone being heavy-handed in their flirtations with Jack only to have him gracefully shrug them off. A decent number of these occurrences led to him catching your eye across the room and throwing you a wink.

Slowly over the next few hours, the group filtered out back to their bus outside. The noise level decreased back to the normal murmurs of the regular scattered patrons, and you took the opportunity to return to your usual seat at the bar itself.

“That happen often?” You joked.

“The big crowds? Naw,” Jack replied, “we don’t see too much traffic out this way. Mostly just regulars or bus-fulls of tourists on their way elsewhere.”

“Oh I wasn’t talking about the crowd,” you responded, still wearing a grin. “I was more talking about the, what, dozens of people who were about to try and jump over the bar at you?” You chuckled at the thought and Jack laughed along with you.

“That? Eh, it happens. ‘Specially with the big crowds. Most of ‘em are just tryin’ to charm their way to a free round. Not a one of ‘em could ever compare to you though, so they ain’t got much of a chance,” he said with another wink at you.

“Oh, don’t let Jack fool ya, little lady!” came a yell from down the bar from the man Jack had introduced as Champ the last time you’d been there. “There was a time not so long ago where Jack here would flirt with anythin’ on two legs! That loft of his got a lotta use before you came along, missy!”

You snorted into your glass as Jack’s face turned red and he grumped loudly at Champ to “watch himself”. A few other patrons also joined in on the good-natured ribbing, leading to Jack threatening to cut them off for the evening before they went back to their own conversations. You smiled to yourself through the exchanges, thinking about how you could get used to the energy here.

The night drew on, and before long Jack was sending out his usual last call before closing. The remaining patrons soon filtered out, and Jack busied himself with his typical closing duties. You watched him intently, noting how he left the jukebox on after the lights had been turned off. He walked over to it, put some change into the slot, and soon a slow country song started crooning through the speakers as Jack walked over to you and held out his hand.

“Might I ask ya for a dance, sugar?” He asked. You smiled and took his hand, letting him lead you out onto the floor. The two of you fell into the same position that you had last time, with one of Jack’s hands around your waist with the other holding one of yours. The two of you swayed to the song, your foreheads pressed together. You both kept your eyes on the other, sneaking kisses throughout the song as you moved together. Jack had a look on his face that could have only been described as pure adoration, and you were sure that your expression mirrored his. The song faded to silence, and Jack moved his hands around your middle as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

“So whaddya say, tumbleweed?” He asked into the space between the two of you, “Mind stayin’ for a little while longer?”

You smiled at him then, sighing to yourself as you finally buried the rest of your overbearing pride for good.

“Yeah,” you said finally, “Yeah, I think I’d like that. Only if I won’t be a burden, of course.”

“Baby, never in a million years,” Jack replied, leaning in to kiss you again.

You had wandered for long enough. And you knew that eventually, your wanderlust would catch up with you again. But that night you finally laid your weary soul to rest as you basked in the knowledge that no matter how far you wandered, Jack would always be there to welcome you home.


End file.
